The
toponym is said to come from "Marsh-town", because of the low-lying nature of the land, still green space, near the
River Cherwell, which remains part of the wider Oxford
floodplain and is still subject to periodic flooding. The parish used to be part of the manor of
Headington. The village played an important part in the
Civil War, during the
siege of Oxford. While the Royalist forces were besieged in the city, which had been used by
King Charles I as his capital, the Parliamentary forces under Sir
Thomas Fairfax had quarters in Marston, and used the church tower as a lookout post for viewing the enemy's artillery positions in what is now the
University Parks. Oliver Cromwell visited Fairfax at Manor House, which is now known as "Cromwell House" at 17 Mill Lane, and "Manor House" at 15 Mill Lane, and the Treaty for the Surrender of Oxford was signed there in 1646. In the 20th-century expansion of Oxford, new housing followed the
Marston Road from
St Clement's towards Marston, which was soon absorbed by the city. New Marston became a separate parish in the 1950s. Old Marston parish become part of the City of Oxford in 1991. It retains its (civil) parish council. Marston has had a number of notable residents, including members of the Oxford
penicillin team:
Howard Florey and his second wife
Margaret Jennings, and
Norman Heatley. The village has been associated with the origin of the
Jack Russell breed of terrier.
Church of St Nicholas The
parish church is dedicated to
Saint Nicholas. It began as a chapel, first mentioned in a charter of 1122 by which it was granted to the
Augustinians canons of
St Frideswide's Priory. The building dates from the 12th century, and has substantial additions in the 15th century. It is a
Grade I listed building. ==Amenities==